SCAT-MCAT pair trolleys for Island-SRQ service

by Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter

The Manatee County Area Transit and its Sarasota counterpart, Sarasota County Area Transit, will begin daily trolley service between Anna Maria Island and downtown Sarasota, including stops on Longboat Key and St. Armands Circle, effective June 14, MCAT public relations director Ron Beckwith said.

Beckwith said the cost for any portion of the trip is 75 cents, unlike the Island Trolley, for which ridership is free.

The southern route will operate from Coquina Beach to St. Armands Circle to downtown Sarasota, then a return with the same stops.

For its share of the service, SCAT will use trolleys it purchased from MCAT that were part of its original fleet. Those trolleys have since been “retro-fitted” with better mufflers than the originals, Beckwith noted.

The route will operate with a total of three trolleys, two of which will come from SCAT, and one from MCAT, he said. One trolley will be held in reserve, while the remaining two will operate the route.

A one-way trip from Coquina Beach to downtown Sarasota with a stop at St. Armands Circle is estimated to take about 30 minutes. The plan is for two trolleys to operate in opposite directions at all times and one should reach a designated stop every 30 minutes. The service will operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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